Books I’ve Read in 2022, So Far
This is my running list of books read in 2022, with a bit of commentary on each. I’ll continue updating it as I read more.
The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel. finished January 8. Beautifully written tale of a Bernie Madoff-like scheme and those ensnared in it by the author of Station 11, one of my favorite books in recent times. Didn’t enjoy quite as much as that one, but still engrossing and entertaining. Characters and dialogue so well rendered, as well as times and places from the recent past.
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, finished January 21. Another follow-up, this one by the author of The Martian. The writing style was — jarring — after reading the Glass Hotel. So many exclamation points and elementary school curse words (gosh darn it!) that I almost gave up on it. But the science (fiction) was fascinating and my inner wannabe interstellar traveller and alien meeter got drawn in. I found the parts on Earth less believable than the parts set in interstellar space.
The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett, finished January 29. This book was a literary pallet cleanser after project Hail Mary. Beautifully written, moving story of two sisters, identical twins, one who lives life as a black woman, while the other passes for white. Heartbreaking in many places but deeply insightful on race in America in the 20th century. Sometimes hard to read for what it revealed about one’s own attitudes and experiences. Maybe that’s what the best literature does.
Pirkei Avot: A Social Justice Commentary. By Rabbi Shmuley Yanklowitz. Pirkei Avot is a central piece of Jewish Rabbinic literature, focused on ethics. I have never studied it formally but had been curious to learn more about it, as a number of my favorite teachings in Judaism come from it. For example:
“It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it” (2:21), attributed to Rabbi Tarfon
It was fascinating to see its teachings framed within the central social justice struggles of our current times. I didn’t make it all the way through the book but took away a lot from the parts I did read — and I enjoyed stumbling through the Hebrew passages.
American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins. This story of a mother and son on the run through Mexico as they flee from a vindictive narco-gang lord has received intense criticism for alleged cultural appropriation and inauthenticity from some corners. I understand and appreciate where that criticism is coming from. I’ll also say I found the book an engaging story and difficult to put down. Melodramatic, yes, but it shines a deserved light on the human stories of those risking everything to seek a new life in the United States.
Why Privacy Matters, by Neil Richards. An important examination of how we got to the unsatisfactory point that we are at with respect to online privacy and how we can do better than simply overwhelming consumers with choices — choices that may obscure the fact that they have little or no control over the most privacy-impacting aspects of the technology they use.
Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead. Beautifully written yarn set in Harlem between 1959–64, a period of transition from the Glory Years of the early/mid 20th century to a tougher time that followed. The protagonist, Ray Carney, is living a straight life on the outside but hustling in the grey zone to make ends meet and keep advancing materially. There are noxious racist cops, loathsome, crooked rich guys, loveable crooks, and straight-up bad dudes — a delightfully colorful mix of characters. Compelling from beginning to end — strongly recommend.
Still Life and A Fatal Grace, Louise Penney. With thanks to Kathy for recommending — the first two in a series of mysteries set in rural Quebec and featuring the protagonist, Inspector Gamache, his fellow investigators, and the villagers of Three Pines. I appreciated the evocation of a fascinating part of the world where anglophone and francophone cultures collide and intersect in day-to-day life, and the mystery is taut with a culprit whose identity was not clear (at least to me) until the final reveal. A fun read.
Also read:
The Cruelest Month, Louise Penney
Suite Francaise (read partially) — Irene Nemirovsky
Football Dreams, David Guy
A Rule Against Murder, Louise Penney
Sea of Tranquility, Emily St. John Mandej
